


The Helicopter

by TCGeek



Category: Caduceus | Trauma Center Series
Genre: F/M, Friendship/Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-17 06:07:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13653009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TCGeek/pseuds/TCGeek
Summary: Though the noise of the helicopter was too loud for her to hear him, Derek still finds a clever way to speak to his assistant.





	The Helicopter

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place at the end of UTK2, after the final operation: a little blurb that I thought of after the last time I played through the game. Because no matter how many people I kill or maim in my other stories, I always seem to come back to fluff. :)

"Thank you two, as always, for your assistance. Once again, I don't think we would have been successful without you."

Detective Buckley shook hands with both Derek and Angie, who could only manage to nod. Exhaustion had bled heavily onto their faces, muting the smiles that they attempted to give him in return.

"I'm sure that's not true." Angie replied. "But, thank you for the times that you've placed your trust in us, Detective."

"Yes, thank you for allowing us to help – both to care for the injured, and to put an end to this once and for all … we're just glad that we didn't disappoint."

The detective shook his head with a smile. "You helped to bring down a terrorist organization for a second time, saved soldiers and civilians with risky operations, managed to avoid getting yourselves and your friends killed with a detonation in the process, and you're still humble. It's amazing, yet slightly irritating."

Derek and Angie laughed, voices worn but sincere.

"Detective Buckley, we needed this for ourselves for reasons that are complicated to explain. The closure and answers we received here today were important – we're indebted to you for allowing us to come and for protecting us along the way."

Derek's explanation seemed to satisfy the detective, who just smiled with a knowing nod. He pulled a black radio to his mouth and after a few words to someone on the other end, turned back to Derek and Angie.

"Your chariot is arriving – right this way."

Angie raised an eyebrow at Derek at the word choice, and he chuckled softly.

"Come on, Angie – let's go home."

Derek placed a protective hand on the small of her back, guiding her forward but remaining by her side. They followed the detective down a winding corridor and to a plain, unmarked door. He pressed on the handle and swung it open, outstretched arm holding it ajar for Derek and Angie to walk through, both immediately surprised by the bright lights and gust of wind that awaited them.

"Ugh." Derek groaned upon seeing a helicopter in the sky above them, Angie whipping her head to the side with an exasperated laugh.

"What were you expecting?!" she asked loudly, now shouting over the whirl of the helicopter blades and the wind that accompanied it as it grew closer. "This is how we got here, how did you think we would leave?!"

Derek shrugged, reaching his hand up behind his head to scratch it with a laugh. "I don't know!" he yelled, "but after almost blowing chunks on the way here, forgive me for not being thrilled!"

She giggled. "Well, lucky for you, your nurse has you covered – as always."

Derek grew curious at the cryptic statement, especially when she reached down into the bag full of supplies they had brought, shuffling through it in search of something specific.

And as she stood with a small package in her hands, Derek smiled – she was truly always a step ahead of him.

"I'm starting to really wonder how I ever functioned in life without you." he said in a shout, the helicopter growing closer.

"Yeah, me too." she joked, her hands peeling the plastic backing off of the motion sickness patch she had brought along specifically for him. After their first raid on Delphi had turned him severely seasick, she always made arrangements for such things, as she knew how easily ill her doctor got on nearly every mode of transportation in existence.

"You're a lifesaver, Angie. Thank you." he said, blushing as her fingers brushed behind his ear, pulling his hair away and affixing the patch to his skin.

"I know. And you're welcome."

He rolled his eyes at her and she nudged him playfully, both of them turning their attention to Detective Buckley, who had appeared at their side once again.

"I'll store your supplies while you climb on board. We'll have you back to Caduceus in no time." he shouted, running forward to the now waiting pilot.

"Ready?" she asked him, laughing when he shook his head vigorously.

"Come on, Doctor."

Angie hooked her arm under his, their elbows now linked as she walked forward and pulled him along despite his protest. He gave her a hand climbing up into the backseat of the waiting helicopter and followed shortly after, both of them buckling in and placing on their headsets as they began to ascend.

The trip there had been incredibly stressful and full of uncertainty, both due to what awaited them and the volatility of the flight. To avoid remaining undetected they frequently underwent huge altitude changes at the drop of a hat, twisting and turning around objects while flying low in turbulent wind. This was fun to a daredevil-type such as Angie, but Derek hadn't been thrilled in the least. It had taken a lot of willpower, slow breathing, and water to prevent his weak stomach from getting the upper hand, and he was glad he was successful in staving it off. A doctor throwing up all over the place while on his way to provide emergency medical care was hardly the picture of himself he wanted to paint, especially because in cramped quarters, it would've likely meant also puking on his two assistants.

A slight drowsiness set in as they began to ascend, Derek unable to ascertain if the cause was the sedative effects of the patch or the overwhelming exhaustion of what he and Angie had just been through. Whatever the reason, he was able to sit back and enjoy this much smoother ride, taking a moment to look out the window at the glittering landscape of Angeles Bay.

The crisp, black night sky was a stark contrast to the lights of the bustling city below them, a sight that was intensely beautiful to behold. Derek became lost in thought as he took in the breathtaking scenery, as it overwhelmed him to think of the millions of people below them and realize they would likely never know how close they had come to mass destruction.

He slowly brought his attention over to Angie, who was staring out her window, emerald eyes glittering. She appeared content but drained, her fingers absentmindedly twirling a chunk of her blonde hair while she watched the world below fly by.

" _How are you holding up back there, Dr. Stiles?"_

The radio blast from the pilot echoed over both his and Angie's headsets, which was enough to pull her focus from the window and back to him as he returned her gaze with a surprised smirk. The pilot and Detective Buckley were well aware of how he had handled the flight in, even tossing him back a small bag in case he had to barf. It had been embarrassing, to say the least.

"Well, I had a great nurse take care of me this time, so things are much better. Thank you for asking."

Angie smiled at his sheepish response and gave him a small thumbs up, her eyes lingering on his momentarily before turning back to the window.

_"Glad to hear it. We shouldn't be long – half hour, tops."_

Derek nodded at the pilot's response, his eyes still on Angie. He wanted to grab her attention again though frowned, knowing it wouldn't matter. She couldn't hear him over the noise or their giant headphones and he didn't much feel like talking over the radio so the people in front could listen in…

Smiling softly, Derek removed a pen from his top pocket, fingers pulling a piece of scrap paper from the bottom of his lab coat. He pondered momentarily before scratching some words down as neatly as he could manage. Doctor's handwriting was a joke that was very real to him, and as such, he had to try a lot harder to make things legible in order to avoid her yelling at him.

He tapped her gently on the shoulder, her curious eyes shining as they met his and then moved down to a small, white paper that had been extended to her. She looked back at him once more with a mischievous smirk and took the paper from his hands, opening it and squinting to read it in the darkness.

 _Nothing I've done in the last three years would have_  
_possible without you. You're the best teammate and_  
 _friend I could have ever asked for, and I'm forever_  
 _grateful for having you in my life._

A bright smile swept her face before her expression turned to disbelief, her head shaking while his nodded. She attempted to continue the silent argument but stopped when he reached into his pocket and pulled another piece of paper out, beginning to write. A giggle escaped her while she watched him concentrate, knowing how difficult it was to correct his normally disastrous penmanship.

He held out the paper to her, but when she reached for it he playfully pulled it away, chuckling when she rolled her eyes at him and lunged forward to yank it from his grasp. Derek watched nervously as she read it over.

 _I don't know how I can possibly make you_  
_understand what you mean to me, but days like_  
 _today make me remember I need to try more often._  
 _You are my strength and my motivation for being a_  
 _better man, and I hope you love working next_  
 _to me as much as I love having you there._

Angie's eyes stung with tears at the outright display of honesty, knowing Derek well enough to appreciate that being forthright wasn't exactly his strong suit. She turned her gaze up to him nervously, their playful back and forth long gone now. His serious but loving stare made it clear he was standing by his words firmly, the gravity of the situation they had just endured weighing heavily on them both.

Derek didn't think he would ever forget the look of terror in Angie's eyes as they realized that for the first time, failing to successfully treat a new type of GUILT would have further reaching consequences than the loss of a patient. Ms. Mayuzumi's death would cause the release of airborne GUILT through the plant in quantities that would likely mean instant death for them both, as well as Heather, Tyler, and all those who remained in the facility. It was a pressure he had never experienced before, the lives of those dearest to him resting squarely on his shoulders.

He remembered the words of encouragement they had traded during the briefing, and recalled the feeling of his heart hammering away in his chest when her hand grabbed his, squeezing it tightly. It was brief, but served its purpose well to still the doubt churning inside of him, all the while reminding him of what he was fighting for.

Touched by the sentiment and surprised by the display of affection, Angie reached over, plucking the pen from his hands and beginning to write him a reply of her own. Brown eyes flickered out the window nervously, pulse racing when her hand brushed over his, tapping it twice to bring his gaze back to her.

 _"That was really quick…"_ he thought, trying to decipher the expression behind her stare. It was tender but steadfast with a vulnerability that she rarely showed. A gleam still adorned her eyes from the emotions that came to the surface with his written words, appreciation evident as she smiled at him lovingly.

Derek could feel his heart skip a beat at her smile, and grew nervous when she held up her note to him between the first two fingers of her left hand. Never breaking their stare he smirked and reached for it, beginning to chuckle when she pulled it back and out of his grasp. He gave her a playful pout as she just giggled, pulling it away again when he reached for it a second time.

He looked at her questioningly now, wondering why she was torturing him but curious at her change in demeanor. Her smile slowly faded though there was an unmistakable sparkle in her eyes as they danced, twisting his stomach into knots. Derek Stiles knew this look well – she was up to something.

Still holding up the note in her left hand, Angie raised her right hand and her pointer finger poked out of her fist, curling a few times in succession to beckon him closer to her with a smirk.

He looked at her with a questioning smile of his own, scooting himself closer to her as best as possible, as the back of the helicopter only had two bucket seats with a flat plastic storage console diving them.

Angie cocked her head to the side just slightly, raising her eyebrows and repeating the gesture, calling him even closer. Derek gulped as he moved again towards her, eyes never leaving hers as he watched for a clue of what might be in her head at that very moment.

But when Angie made the motion once more, Derek felt heat creep onto his face, thankful for the darkness as he was sure his nervousness was evident. The helicopter blades thankfully drowned out the sound of his pounding heart, eyes still on her as unable to move his lower half toward her any further, he just leaned over slightly until he was inches from her face.

Angie, with her head still lovingly tilted to one side, lingered in her stare with Derek for a moment, taking a mental note of how the shadows of the night danced across his face and illuminated him just enough to appreciate that his expression was loving, but she was clearly scaring him to death. Her eyes dropped from his just briefly, her right hand now coming to rest over his chest where she could feel his furious heartbeat under her fingers. A loving smile graced her lips as her vision became clouded with welling tears, the man in front of her so precious to her that she was briefly angry with herself for never telling him so.

Her eyes turned back to his and noted his concern, though they tried to comfort him by staring back at her doctor with all the love she could possibly manage.

Derek had been right – she had been up to something. But it took the fingers on his chest curling tightly into his uniform and pulling him slowly toward her to figure it out. His eyes never left hers as she brought him closer, the uncertainty he felt fading with the sight of love in her eyes and warmth in her touch.

Angie took one last look into Derek's eyes with a mental smile before her eyes fluttered shut, her lips gently catching his and feeling the tremble in them immediately still upon her touch. She held onto the kiss tenderly as her hand flattened against his chest again to feel his heartbeat, sighing softly as his hand brushed across her cheek and held her face with an affection that brought her emotions straight to the surface again. They lingered there for a moment before she broke them apart, her nose brushing against his and tear-filled eyes turned up toward him as she waited for him to blink his open.

When they did, she instantly noticed the dazed expression he now wore, gorgeous chocolate eyes boring into her with disbelief at what had just happened. He took a fleeting moment to gaze lovingly at her, knowing from her teary stare that having once more gone through absolute hell together was enough to remind them of the place they both held in each other's hearts.

Derek lifted her hand from his chest and squeezed it once before intertwining their fingers together. His heart cried to speak to her, to tell her the million reasons he cared for her – though he conceded that the silence had been perfect. The kiss had filled in whatever their eyes had not been able to convey, though Derek grew curious again as he looked over at the small note still in between the fingers of her left hand. His eyes jumped back to her questioningly, and she simply smiled.

He gently unwound their fingers and she handed him the note instead of tricking him again, much to his relief. As he unfolded it he noticed that the message was short, quickly coming to find that it didn't matter in the least.

_Every minute of every day, know that I am proud of you, Derek._

_And it's not just because I love working next to you – it's because I love **you** **.**_


End file.
